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John Aizlewood's rating
, Playing despite fights
By
John Aizlewood
26 Mar 2008
The last seven days have been disastrous for Velvet Revolver, the Hollywood supergroup featuring three erstwhile Guns N’Roses and Stone Temple Pilots singer Scott Weiland. Last Thursday, Weiland — one of pop’s most dogged drugs fiends, in rehab as recently as last month — announced the group were playing their last tour, tidings that came as something of a shock to his colleagues.
Since then Weiland has been trading internet insults with drummer Matt Sorum, described by the singer as “too immature to have a real relationship, let alone children”. Unsurprisingly, there was no on-stage rapport last night, although the disconnected Weiland did (sort of) recant at one point, admitting, “We are still Velvet Revolver and we still play rock’n’roll” in a rare attempt to engage.
For all their faults, they rocked hard. Slash remains a guitar wizard, especially on the ferocious American Man; Sorum a fabulous drummer, lukewarm father potential or not and bassist Duff McKagen a peerless anchor.
Strutting like Max Wall, Weiland fared less well, his voice drowned by the mighty din and so anaemic it needed bolstering by — of all people — Sorum. The hash he made of the Guns N’Roses tracks, particularly potential showcase Patience, reminded us what a mesmerising singer W.Axl Rose can be.
Speaking of which, when Rose’s latest, lamentable, Guns N’Roses incarnation played Hammersmith in 1996, the gifted Sorum, Slash and McKagen were sorely missed. There’s one very obvious solution.
Details are correct at the time of publication - please check with venue before booking.
Reader views (5)
I like Velvet Revolver, I like Stone Temple Pilots and I like the new Guns and especially the old Guns.
It is sad that both singers Weiland and Axl who are terrific, are a little nutty to say the least. Axl restarted the G'n'R without Slash and Duff and Sorum which is hard to take but the new music is quite good.
Weiland was and is a great singer but a drug user. So it was sadly inevitable that he would get upset and leave and go back to his former great band who probably party hard.
- Carl Pallini, Milford,PA USA, 09/04/2008 23:06
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GnR was the best band of their time but Axl is insane and has lost his talent. There was a reason they produced such good music with Slash and the rest of GnR (the true GnR), and Axl can't produce anything without them.
Axl is nothing without them. At least his former band mates are producing good music with Velvet Revolver. If anyone disputes this please tell me what Axl has done since Slash left (other than get some really bad plastic surgery and dreadlocks).
- Formergnrfan, Washington DC, 28/03/2008 23:03
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The above comment was clearly a joke because if he is serious,then god help England. The current GNR line up is a farce-w/o slash and duff and izzy-its just roses without the guns.
Go Birmingham City!
- Luke Rushing, Gainesville. Georgia America, 27/03/2008 20:39
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Weiland was never right singer for Velvet Revolver. I really hope they can find someone who is up to the calibre of the rest of this band.
- Gary Jennings, Hesperia, CA, USA, 27/03/2008 20:08
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Mr Aizlewood, Guns N' Roses played the Hammersmith Odeon in 1987 and again in 2006; they did not play there in 1996. And, as someone who has supported the band for twenty years and seen them live on numerous occasions, I can assure you that the Guns N' Roses of today inject the old songs with a new vitality - reinvigorating them for a new audience - whilst their new material is both powerful, complex and challenging. In short, Guns N' Roses are doing better than ever and with talent like Axl Rose, Robin Finck and Ron 'Bumblefoot' Thal (to mention just three) in the band, they clearly have no need of the former band members you mention.
- Kim Richardson, London, England, 26/03/2008 15:10
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